Trattoria Pulcinella — Restaurant in Cambridge

The waiter told us right off the bat that we could not “share” our dishes. This was no prix fixe menu, and even the busiest of restaurants in Manhattan won’t care about plate sharing

We were also not informed that 20% gratuity was mandatory for all parties over 6. This was not stated on the menu, and thus not in accordance with the law.

In fact, we were given a handwritten “special” menu and told that the regular menu was not available the night we chose. We called in to make a reservation and weren’t told about this.

Now for the food itself...

Coming from New York, I can tell you the quality is extremely subpar. Nothing tasted homemade and it was way overpriced. The gnocchi was overcooked and tasted like it came straight from a package. Maybe this is how the owner expects his or her food at home on a random Wednesday night... but it is not up to the the standard I’d expect of an establishment serving me food for $25 per dish.

I would love the owner to respond to this review, we were vocal about our dissatisfaction when we sat in the restaurant and we did not receive any apology from the staff or management.

I would advise anyone considering this place to avoid it. Until the owner changes their ways, this place will remain a below average, overpriced, poorly...

Very disappointing for many reasons. The only thing good was the ambiance. I will absolutely not be back, I wish I could give 0 stars. The service was awful. It seemed like they only had one server. He was not very nice, my mother asked for what was in the salad and told us it was just tomatoes, but it came out with cheese. When we went to send it back, he snapped back and said for us to read the menu before ordering, when we asked him what was on the salad and never said cheese. The food took over an hour 1/2 to come out. The server was also rough when picking up our plates as if he was annoyed. The food was not good, I got the veal which was extremely tough, and honestly tasted like it was reheated . The veal was like a hockey puck it was so hard. There was barely anything on the plate as well, and the only thing that was tolerable was the carbonara. The prices were absolutely outrageous for what we got served. The food was awful and there was barely anything on the plate. The server never even asked us what drinks we want. When my mother asked for a Diet Coke he was nasty and said there is no soda.

Waste of my time and money and will absolutely...

Ok let me start off by saying I am not one to share a review…but this is completely necessary. Tonight was my first time dining here & I can’t wait to come back. The ambiance was beautiful…we sat outside and it’s such a nice area for outdoor seating. The staff is wonderful. And the food was AMAZING. This is hands down the best Italian restaurant I have ever been to. The arancini was to die for. So was the mozzarella (excuse me for not using the proper names from the menu!), the artichoke was delicious and when I say don’t walk, RUN and get the fried zucchini blossom while it’s still in season I MEAN IT. One of the most amazing things I’ve ever eaten!!! The risotto was so creamy and cooked to perfection. And the braised short rib with polenta was the perfect comfort dish. I know…this was a lot of food but we shared! I’m so glad I tried so many things on the menu and not one thing was mediocre. Oh..and please get the tiramisu! Everyone needs to try this hidden gem before it’s not so hidden anymore! I honestly can’t wait to come back and bring family...